SINGAPORE – Older Singaporeans are visiting the dentist less often as they age, while also becoming lonelier and more vulnerable to frailty, according to findings from a recent nationwide study.
The longitudinal research found that only about one in four seniors had visited a dentist in the past six months. Nearly one-third had not seen a dentist for more than five years.
Associate Professor Rahul Malhotra, deputy director of the Centre for Ageing Research and Education at Duke-NUS Medical School, said the findings suggest many older adults seek dental care only when problems arise, rather than for preventive check-ups.
“People may not view prevention as something they can actively engage in when it comes to dental health,” said Prof Malhotra, who is the first author of the latest tranche of the study.
Known as the Transitions in Health, Employment, Social Engagement and Inter-generational Transfers in Singapore (The Signs) study, the research tracks the health and social changes of older adults over time. A dental module was added in this round due to growing research and policy attention on oral health and its links to broader health and social outcomes.
Prof Malhotra noted that new dental subsidies introduced under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) card could help raise awareness among seniors about the importance of regular dental care.
The study surveyed 1,535 seniors aged between 67 and 101. Of these, 64 were aged 90 and above. All respondents were part of the original cohort recruited between 2016 and 2017.